A looooong time ago, I was dumb.  I didn’t like the kind of candy generally called a Jellie or Pate de Fruit.  The closest equivalent we have in the mainstream would have to be Sunkist Fruit Gems, which I …ahem…didn’t love back in the days of 2009.  Not sure my opinion’s changed on that one either.

But times have changed, and I’m smartening ups.  Yes, this kind of candy is polarizing, but I’m pretty sure I’m now a believer.  A small disc or square, extremely smooth and cool in consistency, conveying a flavor of fruit delicately.  It’s certainly a subtle candy-either for discriminating adults, or babies who need smooth food.

I recently reviewed Trader Joe’s take on the variety (which are quite good), which prompted Everett from Tahoe City Chocolates to send me these:

Prickly Pear Cactus pate de fruit.  I’d never eaten prickly pear cactus before, so I was excited to try it.

Look how beautiful they are.

I neglected to snap a cross-section photo: I have no idea what I could have been thinking, save for “I want for this to be eaten in my mouth now”.  So apologies on that.  Suffice it to say that these are on the high side of delicious.  These are superior to the Trader Joe’s variety-and it’s not close.

As you can see, there’s a fair amount of sugar caked on the outside.  It was actually just a bit more than I needed, but it didn’t bother me.  I really liked the uber-graininess of the sugar, it plays extremely well off of the silky smooth interior.

The flavor.  The flavor, after I tried to pinpoint it a few times, is truly unlike anything I’ve ever had before-although it’s similar to many things, it still manages to be confusingly unique.  The closest comparison I can make is to a mix of Cranberry, Rose, and perhaps a citrus laced Lychee.  I dunno.  But it’s soooooo delicious.  Something about this consistency really is working for me these days, especially when the flavor is intense and well rounded.  These are all that and a bag of Takis.

Cheri’s also makes this type of candy in Pomegranate, Margarita & Mesquite Bean flavors.  Click the link below to order directly from them.

But really, if you’re in the Tahoe area, you need to be going to Tahoe City Chocolates.  These cats KNOW candy, big time.  I’m truly not blowing smoke on this- these guys love candy, they know it, and they support American companies that make great products.  Round up the family this weekend, grab few hundred bucks to blow in the Tahoe casinos, and a few twenties for Tahoe City Chocolates-there’s a lot to like there.